Bromley Council haven’t had a director of child services for more than a year and are now scrambling to fill the post after a damning Ofsted report.

The council held an urgent meeting on Monday, August 8, to iron out the details of recruiting a director of education, care and health.

An Ofsted report on the borough’s children’s services and safeguarding released earlier this year condemned “widespread and serious” failures that leave children vulnerable.

The post has been vacant since Terry Parkin departed in May 2015.

He was in the role for two years and eight months and received £96,000 compensation when he left.

Ofsted's inspectors criticised service leaders saying “the lead member, the chief executive and the interim director of children’s services do not have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of children’s services”.

The council report released before the meeting on Monday stated: “It is imperative the post of executive director of education care and health services is recruited into in a timely manner, as a reasonable “quick win” in order to create belief and sustainable fellowship within and outside the organisation and the Council’s children’s services workforce in particular.”

The job will be advertised with an annual salary of around £160k, higher than the usual grade range for the post, the upper end of which is around £145k.

Any salary package over £100k requires committee approval.

MORE TOP STORIES

Labour Councillor Angela Wilkins said: "I am pleased that the council has now decided to fill this post and hope we can find the right person for the job and that they can start immediately.

“However questions still need to be answered as to why Mr Parkin was not replaced at the time, who exactly made or sanctioned this decision and what repercussions there have been from what was clearly a bad decision that left vulnerable children at risk.

“Given the under spend in Care Services (£4.35 million in total) no one can argue that the money wasn't available.

“My view is that the Tories' current political ideology of reducing spending, whatever the damage to services, is to blame.

“The OFSTED report supports this view and the Inspector made it clear that this post is absolutely critical.

“I just hope that senior councillors learn the lessons from this and that things are done differently in the future."

A spokeswoman from Bromley Council said: “We are recruiting to this position as quickly as possible to help address Ofsted’s criticism that we did not have adequate high level leadership within Children’s Services.

“This senior position is key to driving our improvements.”